Web Hosting is today’s one of the prime requirements. Emerged from simple HTML pages hosting to a full blown web based hosted applications, creating several useful facilities for the people.

One can see Internet as a means of linking the business through out the world with the help of production of web based technologies like ASP, ASP.NET, JSP, PHP, etc. This choice has forced various options for web hosting now as HTML based sites work equally well on both Linux and Windows platforms.

Talking in fact, Web hosting platforms differs according to operating systems. If one talks about the most common and popular operating servers then the two names which come first in the mind are Microsoft Windows Server and Red hat Linux. As the names of most popular servers have already been disclosed, it leaves behind several questions to answer. Which includes merits and demerits of both the servers? What are the reasons of Linux to stay ahead? Etc.

Linux platform has been constructed by Community based efforts and with the assistance of several IT companies like Red Hat, Suse, and Mandrake it has been specially designed for professional application. Due to such a backup unit Linux Server is known for its strong, inexpensive and protected platform.

Today, quality and security matters without much effect on user’s pocket, which makes the Linux a good choice. In addition to ASP, ASP.NET, other web based technologies also efficiently run in Linux. No cost distribution of PHP, MySQL, and PERL has massively reduced the charges involved in hosting on a Linux Server.

When it comes to Linux hosting probability of virus attack, spamming and hacking are relatively few. Robust architecture and cost effective software’s play a very important role in this.

Given below are reasons why Linux based web server dominate over Windows:

Stability: very stable and provides uptime around 99.9%.

Ownership cost: Linux operating servers comes without any charge or with simple charge. A fully fledge server with desk top applications. One will get stable server applications like FTP, Web Server, DNS Server, and File Server for free of cost.

Cooperative to User: one can easily host on Linux web servers. Both Linux and Windows have simple procedure when it comes to uploading and hosting.

When user’s requirement is to run tool like Front Page on a Linux based web server, he/she should confirm that the Front Page extensions are facilitated. This formality is necessary only when user is uploading using HTTP feature of Front Page. One should also ensure that if he/she chooses “Front Page Extensions”; at the time of web site design, user should facilitate Front Page extensions to Linux web server. Nowadays, one can purchase Linux web servers with installable Front Page extensions, without any sort of problems. Generally, assisted file extensions include, .cgi, .html, .htm, .pl, .php, .shtml, .xml, etc.

Accessibility between hosts: A web site recommended for a Linux based web server can be hosted on a Windows web server easily, but its vice-versa may not be obtainable.

Scalability: one cannot overlook future expansion of the web site. It is dynamic and flourishes as per user’s necessities. One can consider that web design well-suited to a Linux/Unix based web server can match scalability requirements much easier as compare to others.